PierM

There is a channel volume in the amp block, you can use that to balance back. If you have very hot pups, I still suggest to start from guitar volume. Sometimes even just a little notch under 10 it's enough to move from the edge to a safe clean zone.

also remember you have a guitar volume knob; just use it. :) Also, for a tube amp clean base, just turn down the drive section at a level that gives you the clean base you are searching for.

That's how dynamic range works, in any audio equipment apparatus. Let's say you have a pedal equipped with 20bit ACs, giving you a good 110dB of dynamic range, with a noise floor sitting at -90dB. Means you have 90dB of range under 0dB (SNR), and 20dB above 0dB (Headroom). That area above 0dB will start clipping as soon as you hit the headroom ceiling (clipping port). Above clipping there is distortion region (transients are all within that area). So, back to helix; that level at the end it's giving you an extra tool to fine tune the gain staging before hitting the DA. If you hit that stage with a good and solid signal (dancing between -18 and +3dB), you are fine, and there is no need to boost that stage over 0dB. It's just a final boost that gives you the opportunity to do little changes on the fly, depending on the situation, without redoing all the gain staging in the preset. Again, 90% of the time, you are good to go with values between 0dB and -/+3dB for adjustments on the fly. There shouldnt be any reason to boost a signal with 20dB, unless you are hitting the output stage at -32/-30dB, which is a very weak and noisy signal (since this is too close to noise floor, and boosting will pull that noise up.) You do your gain staging BEFORE to hit the output block, trying to stay in the headroom zone, or just a tad under it. If you do so, that output level should be fine at zero.

So, just to recap; you pushed the output to +20dB and were getting signal clipping, so you are letting us know that turning back to 0dB, solved the issue. Output block "level" isnt a last stage volume, it's a boost stage hitting DA, so everything above 0dB is indeed squeezing headroom, and after that there's clipping. The volume you are talking about is the knob on the Helix top/front. That one gives you unity gain when all maxed out, so no boost, no clipping.

Man, give me a break lol! My original battery is dead. Original l6 batteries are non existent in the local market. Original VDI adapter, non existent as well. What exactly should I do to use my Variax?... :)

Why dont you just use looper commands? You wouldnt need to clear, as soon you set 2 or 3 footswitches to do like FS 1, REC/OV FS 2, PLAY/STOP Or FS2 STOP and FS3 PLAY Once you stopped, next REC press will just start recording a new loop. They didnt put a clear function, as Stop will already put the looper in two options: Play, Overdub, will start again....REC, will just clean and record a new loop. Then, if you really feel the need of a clear; You can set a FS, to do a REC on press and STOP on release, so a quick tap, will record nothing, and drop the old loop...but this isnt really required as soon as you STOP. There is plenty of control with looper commands. With an external controller, or just a external switch for FS4 and 5, you can have a full looper right there, with Rec/Ov, play/stop, Undo, reverse, etc etc... But again, what you need is a stop button, so that next rec will just record a new loop, with no play involved.

Im using the Iridium instead amp/cab on HXS, as my core guitar tone always move around a 65 blackface. But I also put an amp block (usually a princetone block, set with very low drive and flat eq) in front of Iridium, as this makes the miracle of creating a HUGE clean base, which to my ears is way more close to my actual tube blackface. The thing in the top left corner is just an expression knob, that I can patch to zoia CV port when needed. Means I can have an extra knob to control whatever param from Zoia, or HXS, or Looper. The oher two boxes are the WET pass for the Plus Pedal, and the strymon mini FAV, that flip my El Capstain from a standard tape echo, to a tape looper. WIDI tech works standalone, and if you have more WIDI device, it can create a closed group, with a Master and a group of 4 devices. In my case, I do have HXS set as Master, and Zoia as part of a WIDI group with a WIDI Host (that I use with either a fishman tripleplay midi pickup, or a keyboard, or whatever MIDI that needs a Host), and other two WIDI jacks; one for the Live Logic Midi controller on the ground (remoting HXS FS 1,2,3,4,5 + Tuner), and the other for my Echoplex loopers. Im not forced to use all of them all the time. WIDI will just connect with what he "feels" available. It can be set to auto pair, or better, to what we want specifically, as if it were hardwired. Then, an iPad can connect to such group, or single WIDIs, offering MIDI control over everything is available. Latency is 3ms average. Cant report any problem, even when doing stutter sampling, which can be extremely fast. PSU is ZUMA for everything but HXS. I do use its original small Line6 PS, velcroed in a corner, as it gives me a more stable HXS boot. Sometimes with ZUMA, using the current doubler, I was getting HXS booting with no audio. Using its own PS, seems solving the problem. Cables are all Rockboard, various versions and lenght, depending on the need. I did a wiring plan before to start, to grab the shortest version for each line. There are TRS, TS, TRS to TS/TS, 5cm, 10, 30, 40, 60, etc etc...all same Rockbkard series. They works good, but there is MUCH better stuff on the market, but I needed a very tight package, and these are doing the job. Then there are angled MIDI TRS A for ZOIA, converting to DIN for the patch bay on the back. Also an angled USB B to USB A that does remote HXS USB port to the back. Good for HXEdit, firmware update, or direct MIDI with iPad. 9V cables are those original from ZUMA. There is just a little daisy chain for the Tuner. Zoia is an intimidating beast, and does require some energy...but there are SOOOO many good patches from the community, that you can use it right away out of the box, and take your time to dive into the programming. You can make your own reverbs literally from scratch, or program a LFO circuit that does control a param in the HXS, that does react to playing dynamics through a slew limiter etc etc.. Its just a door to the outer space. :)

I dig it! Looks very versatile. I also recently completed mine. Purpose is ambient/live looping, with part of it in the HXS Loop, and part before HXS. Zoia is working as "brain" It can automate HXS params, act as controller, or generative synth, or keyboard, or multi fx addon, swiss army knife. :) MIDI is using WIDI so the board can work standalone MIDI wise, or can be totally edited from the outside wirelessly (iPad, Live Logic, PC etc) HXS USB is remoted on the back, so no risk of damaging the port.

No, the HXS doesnt offer this option, as you have two rotary, one for scroll, one for select. I do agree that it's bloody annoying when I do accidentally twist the second one, losing my block with all settings in it. Would be cool to have a "performance mode" like Zoia, that deactivate stuff like that when needed.

I did found one on Amazon and works perfect, much better than the original. Does last way more and doesnt drop the charge when guitar is hanging on the wall. I cant post here, as I dont think it's allowed, but there are alternatives out there. ;)

From a mere DSP standpoint, the HXFX hosts the same SHARK Chip as the rest of the family. This means it could probably run an amp/cab block algorithm as any other HX device, but there is an important hardware difference; the HX FX doesn't offer the same impedance circuit at the input, because wasn't designed to drive the amp block with the proper "circuit load". (downside of that same aspect, is that fuzzes aren't behaving the same as the full Helix/HX) Then, from a market standpoint, not sure would be a good move to change the core purpose of a product, years after its launch.

That's because LL it's doing hardware toggling, (it's not a VST), so if you alternate ON/OFF commands between HX and LL, within the same cycle, the LL will return in its initial electrical status (0 listening). It can be hard to understand, but I will try; This is an hypothetic cycle, and to keep that working - ONCE YOU SENT INITIAL BLOCK STATUS TO LL SWITCHES - you should only use LL to control the HX, and it will work just fine with everything in sync (HX it will only receive); HX; Footswitch Pressed - Bypass ON - CC XY Send Value 127 LL; CC XY Receive Value 127 - Footswitch Led ON LL; Footswitch Pressed - CC XY Send Value 0 - Footswitch Led OFF HX; CC XY Receive Value 0 - Bypass OFF LL; Footswitch Pressed - CC XY Send Value 127 - Footswitch Led ON HX; CC XY Receive Value 127 - Bypass ON LL; Footswitch Pressed - CC XY Send Value 0 - Footswitch Led OFF GO TO POINT 4 If you alternate commands between the two hardware, within the same cycle, you get that (you are basically trying to control the controller); HX; Footswitch Pressed - Bypass ON - CC XY Send Value 127 LL; CC XY Receive Value 127 - Footswitch Led ON HX; Footswitch Pressed - Bypass OFF - CC XY Send Value 0 LL; CC XY Receive Value 0 - Footswitch Led OFF LL; Footswitch Pressed - CC XY Send Value 0 - Footswitch Led stays OFF HX; CC XY Receive Value 0 - Bypass Stays OFF LL; Footswitch Pressed again - CC XY Send Value 127 - Footswitch Led ON If you need to go back to HX for any reason, keeping the two device in "sync", you should move to HX switches when latest value sent to LL was 127 (ON). To avoid that mess, as I said earlier here, once you've everything in sync you should only use the LL to remote the HX. This is all due the fact there is hardware toggle involved. Momentary wouldn't have this side effect. Same when using NOTEs to trigger commands in other devices. For example, I can program the LL to communicate with my EDPs, via NOTEs, and it works just perfect, because the EDPs are providing a Note for each command received on the hardware buttons. (Still not possible with Stomp to completely solve the function to automatically send a MIDI packet with all FS status at each preset load.)

no, you either set LL to be a PC controller or a CC/Note controller, called custom mode. Btw, I pass, we are just confusing the OP, and I have already answered. Seems to me you dont know the Live Logic, but you keep trying to win the argument you started, being wrong. :)

You can use whatever CC you want, doesnt matter. LL will listen at the Midi Channel for the assigned CC. And this is per switch. LL receive CCs, Notes, Tempo/Clock, and can also receive and pass thru the incoming. Your suggestion isnt a solution, as LL doesnt offer multiple presets that you can manually program with Stomp, so the best option is to set LL to call for HX Stomp FS CCs, but again, it will not send ON/OFF status back to LL. And even if you had multiple presets on LL, you couldnt get the LL receiving all led/FS status at preset load.

Of course it does. But cant receive anything from stomp, since stomp does not produce bypass midi. Just did another video for you, ipad simulating HX stomp sending midi bypass back to LL. https://www.dropbox.com/s/85hf425qmfq8rer/IMG_8138.MOV?dl=0

Just to avoid confusion, I just meant that (NO MIDI BEING SENT ON BYPASS STATUS): https://www.dropbox.com/s/dblw6sqspkhy2fn/IMG_8137.MOV?dl=0

The OP is asking why leds on the controller arent in sync with leds on Stomp. So when he browse the presets, nothing happens on the controller side. Why that? Because Helix isnt using midi to communicate those bypass status to the external world, and even if you had a controller listening for CCs, to pre-set switches to either 127 or 0, you wont get any led switch sync while browsing presets, because nothing is being sent. They would still be all 0, waiting for first press. You are talking about commands, that's a different scenario, and here it's stomp being the controller. It cant be a valid answer, as sounds like Helix is sending bypass status via midi, but its controller cant receive it, which isnt true.

I didnt say you cant send CCs from Stomp, so it's pointless. HX and Helix, arent sending bypass status, period.

If you are referring to the sound of the fingers, sliding on strings, that's potentially happening with a wide range of variables....so comparing the two devices, wont help you breaking down the issue. Usually it's a countereffect of hi gain settings, especially with bright amps/cabs, but it can be exacerbated by compressors, strings, pickup height, playing style etc etc. Also, it can be expected when using the acoustic sim, similar to what you get with piezo saddles. We need more info. :)

HX Stomp, as any other Helix device, DOES NOT generate blocks/footswitches MIDI status (it only has its own reserved FS CCs), so isn't sending anything about the ON/OFF situation when you load a preset, nor when you change bypass directly on the HX Stomp. No MIDI is being sent about that status change. It's just a passive control, as it happens with 99% of multiFX pedals, controlled by non proprietary controllers. Even if you'd connect the MIDI OUT from HX Stomp to the Live controller, you won't get any information about that aspect. If you just entered a preset, with blocks ON, you won't get that status loaded on your midi controller. Same if you have a HX block and its relative switch on the controller ON, and then you turn that block off within the HX Stomp, you won't receive anything on the MIDI controller. This means you always need to manually put the two device in "sync" as for the ON/OFF status of each block/FS you are remoting from that controller, and once you are good, only use the MIDI controller to keep the LEDs on the controller matching the status on the stomp.

Just Microsoft making your life harder with useless and stupid code, that they decided to bury under layers of settings, so you have to waste your time to find out what's going on. Just install the latest driver, and turn memory integrity off. Again, it's a useless feature for a standard user.

Yeah I do also lurk from time to time hunting for DI posts, but ran away when they started mumbling about sliders and knobs...geeeeez

Those guys at TGP have way to much free time in their hands...lol

I want to start saying I do have the stomp, and never had a real problem with recorded level...so first thing to check is you don't have way to much headroom at the preset ouput. A weak preset output is sending a signal which is too close to noise floor, which means pulling that noise from the floor as soon as you add level up in DAW. A good recording starts from a solid signal at the source. If your preset is well balanced at the output (which means you have the right amount of headroom, far away from noise floor), you should be fine at the DAW (the rule of -18dB is valid), and with enough room for mixing without pulling noise or clipping the track.

This proves my point; wasnt about sustain. Was about feedback. Apples and oranges. ;)